Weekly Dispatch with Mayor Sullivan

THE GOOD:
Thank you to Parks and Recreation Director Mike Brown and his team for organizing Green Up Day in Newport. And thank you to all who turned out to participate. It was wonderful to speak with our residents and receive their pictures as they joined me in Green Up Day in Newport too. Just more proof that our City cares!

To promote timely and coordinated responses to records requests and to best comply with the Vermont Public Record Act, we have put together the City’s policy on administration of public records requests. This policy was adopted and will be posted on the City’s website.

The Purchasing Policy was worked through with the Mayor and the Zoning Administrator and the City Manager to ensure oversight on separation of duties on the Bid Process without handicapping the operations of the city.

Our City is hard at work for Newport. There have been participations in webinars on grants, VLCT Governance trainings, and attendance at fire department trainings.

Parks and Recreations Director Mike Brown is continually hard at work. The Memorial Day parade and ceremony will be on May 27 and the parade and ceremony s organized by Newport American Legion Post #21. The parade kicks off from the municipal building at 10 AM to be followed by a ceremony at the Veteran’s memorial monument at Gardner Park.

Police Chief Travis Bingham reported that first responders were recognized at a ceremony for a lifesaving incident on the ice involving a 4-year-old child. Three of those recipients were Newport Police Officers, Josh Lillis, Tanner Jacobs and Jonathan Morin. Thank you for your service!

Our Interim Fire Chief Kevin Lacoss joined the Mayor on the NEKTV “From the Desk of the Mayor” and discussed the use of the Fire Department’s new extrication tools at a Motor Vehicle Accident. The car was on its roof and the doors had to be taken off to extract the driver. Newport let’s join in and thank the Interim Fire Chief and his Department for keeping us safe and saving lives. Thank you for your service!
Public Works Director – Thomas Bernier has announced that the city line striping crew is out painting crosswalks, and that Prouty Beach and Gardner Park are both open for the season.

THE NOT SO BAD:
The City Manager held a staff meeting focusing on discussions regarding the sludge spill into the Clyde River and also discussed the PACIF Grant needs with the department heads.

THE UGLY:
Everyone is aware of the fixation an attorney-resident has with the Mayor and the Mayor is aware of the residents’ being “creeped out” by this bizarre fixation and misleading writings. Sadly, it has become apparent that the newspaper publishes these rants but fails to publish other residents’ oppositions to these postings. It is clear that no weight should be placed on these writings, self-serving comments and declarations of claiming that the work of the Mayor and Council and City are that writer’s own accolades. That same writer has had the audacity to publish in the Chronicle that work done on a legal pad was “chicken scratch” making it appear that this was the Mayor’s work.

These numbers were prepared by the Treasurer, an expert in his field. Please be advised that the writer of those letters is neither an expert nor a professional in this area and that because someone chooses to do their work on a yellow pad and use a calculator, does not minimize the accuracy of the work product and does not make it “chicken scratch.” I applaud the Treasurer for working so hard to provide the Council with appropriate and accurate information.

THE BETTER:
I hear you Newport residents. As your Mayor, I will work with the Council and the City to not only protect your safety but protect the integrity of the City so we can ethically accept monies from State and Federal sources. Let’s move on Newport. As you can see, your city employees and your Council are working for the betterment of Newport.

The Agenda and the documents that are authorized to be included in the packets are the authority of the Mayor and approved by the Mayor. Thank you to the City Manager for working with the Mayor to ready these packets timely. If there are items that you would like to see on the City Council agenda, please email the Mayor for consideration and timeliness.

Public comment time at the council meetings is available for your comments as the business at the City Council meetings are the time that the Council can meet to discuss city business. The time to engage in open discussion with the Mayor is at the Mayor’s meetings on Monday and Wednesday mornings at City Hall in the City Council Room from 9:00-11:00 AM. Monday Mayor hours are open to all. Wednesday’s Mayor hours are by appointment. Your voice it’s important to me and I am listening. Don’t forget to watch my “from the Desk of the Mayor” NEKTV show.

As always, the Mayor is always proud, along with our City Council, to address and attend the parades and events and public ribbon cuttings and other events of acknowledgment and other memorial and events for our wonderful Newport residents. Just let the Mayor know or let the city manager know that you would like the Mayor and the Council at these events so that they can schedule us accordingly. Your events and functions and services are importantly to the Mayor and the Council. We are here for you Newport!

Thank you for your confidence— your Mayor, Linda Joy Sullivan